


Improvising

by harvestleaves



Series: Out of Breath [8]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Asthma, Gen, Mateo is a nervous wreck, TK is amused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:53:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25558402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harvestleaves/pseuds/harvestleaves
Summary: Despite Mateo being extremely focused and detail-oriented in his job and the field, he becomes a panicked wreck when he's alone with TK having an asthma attack.Tumblr prompt: TK having an attack when only mateo is around and mateo is really worried and kinda panics bc he doesn't know what to do!
Relationships: Mateo Chavez & TK Strand
Series: Out of Breath [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618924
Comments: 8
Kudos: 150





	Improvising

TK let out a wheezy sigh as he poured himself a cup of tea before sitting on one of the couches with a raspy cough, waving at Mateo as the younger man came in from the showers after having worked out.

“Hey, I’m surprised you didn’t go grocery shopping with the rest of the team,” Mateo smiled as he sat next to TK on the couch, frowning at how exhausted the other man looked.

“I didn’t feel like arguing with Judd over which flavor of Doritos is better even though we all know it's the ranch flavor,” TK tried to joke with a smile before he brought his mug up to take a sip of his tea, hoping the steam would soothe his sore chest.

“That’s probably a good idea, I know how he gets with the food choices, who actually enjoys pork rinds?” Mateo asked curiously with a wrinkle of his nose before he studied TK once more and his frown from before deepened.

“You okay? You’re really pale, is it your lung thing?” Mateo gestured to his chest vaguely to emphasize his point.

TK blushed before he let out a few more coughs and nodded. “Y-yeah, I’m fine though,” he rasped out before moving to settle his head against Mateo’s shoulder, letting out a soft sigh as he handed the tv remote to the smaller male.

“Are you sure? You sound awful,” Mateo frowned as he took the remote and flipped to a random movie as he slid an arm around TK to rub his back when the taller male started to cough again.

TK didn’t immediately answer Mateo’s question, too busy coughing to get a word out.

Mateo’s eyes immediately widened and he looked around in a panic, half-hoping their other teammates would show up to help. Any and all of the medical training he’d had so far seemed to fly right out of his brain at the sight of TK wheezing for breath in front of him.

“Shit! What should I do? Do you have your inhaler with you?” Mateo quickly rambled as ran his hand over the other male’s shaking back as he coughed.

“L-locker,” TK wheezed out with a wince at the tightness in his chest and he mentally swore when he remembered that he’d run out the night before and Carlos had offered to pick up his refill that morning. Until then, however, there was not going to be an inhaler for Mateo to find in that locker room.

In the locker room, Mateo was frantically throwing the things in TK’s locker onto the floor to try and find the small blue inhaler that he figured didn’t to want to be found. Finally giving up, he shoved everything back into the locker before heading back to where TK was sitting on the couch.

“TK?! I can’t find it! Should I get you some coffee maybe? I think I remember you trying that once when Judd had to get your medicine. I’m gonna make you coffee.”

Mateo was rambling and he knew it, but at that moment in time, it seemed like the only thing that was keeping _him_ from going into a full-on panic attack.

TK glanced up at where Mateo was pacing back and forth in front of him and almost started to laugh at how much of a wreck the other was. The next round of coughs however kept him from doing just that and a small smile graced his lips as he watched the smaller male disappear into the kitchen before returning with a steaming cup of coffee a moment later.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted anything in it, but Google said that I should just give you black coffee,” Mateo explained as he slid back into the spot next to TK. Handing the other male the mug, Mateo kept his own hand hovering over TK’s shaky one just in case he had to quickly catch the scalding cup of coffee.

Bringing the mug up to his face, TK took a shaky inhale through his nose of the steam, letting the warm air soothe his airways before he took a sip.

“Th-thank you,” TK rasped out with a small smile as he leaned into the hug that Mateo was giving him before he held out his phone so Mateo could see the text from Carlos.

“Carlos is bringing your new inhaler? Wait, why wasn’t yours in your bag?!” Mateo frowned as he hugged TK close to his chest, glad that the other was finally calming down. He still didn’t like the sound of the other man’s breathing, but he knew he’d be fine once Carlos came.

“It ran out yesterday. I just forgot to bring a new today,” TK explained, a small wheeze trailing his words as he took another drink of the coffee.

“That’s stupid. Can I put one in my locker? Just so that I know where one is in case this happens again? You really scared me,” Mateo practically whispered as he glanced down at his lap, avoiding eye contact with TK.

TK’s breath caught once more in his chest at those words, though this time out of surprise and not asthma. He knew that he thought of Mateo as a younger brother, someone he was supposed to look out for, not the other way around. He knew, however, that with this job, age wasn’t a factor in their eyes and that this chosen family could be taken away in a heartbeat, or a siren call and he wrapped an arm around Mateo, burying his face in the other’s hair as he returned the hug he was receiving.

“Sure, brother.”


End file.
